Odisha train accident: Cause of accident identified that killed 275 passengers. Here are top 10 updates you need to know
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared an update on the cause of the deadly Odisha train accident that killed 275 passengers. The Congress demanded the minister's resignation, and a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the accident.
PremiumOdisha train tragedy: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared an update on the cause of the deadly mishap which killed 288 passengers. Three trains - the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train were involved in the accident. As many as 17 coaches of these two passenger trains were derailed and severely damaged in the accident on Friday evening.
Even though the railway safety in India has improved compared to earlier years when serious crashes and accidents near unmanned crossings were more frequent, scores have still died and hundreds have been injured.
Here are 10 things you need to know:
1) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that accident occurred due to a "change in electronic interlocking. Electronic interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements between trains through an arrangement of tracks. It is basically a safety measure to prevent signals from being changed in improper sequence. The aim of this system is that no train gets the signal to proceed unless the route is proven safe.
2) The Congress on Sunday demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the Odisha rail tragedy, alleging that his "PR gimmicks" overshadowed the "serious deficiencies, criminal negligence and complete disregard for safety and security" of Indian Railways. The Opposition party also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should accept part of the responsibility of the "mess" which his government has inflicted on the Indian Railways and the people.
3) Railway Board Jaya Varma Sinha, Member of Operation and Business Development held press conference. During the conference, “According to the preliminary findings, there has been some issue with the signalling. We are still waiting for the detailed report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Only Coromandal Express met with an accident. The train was at a speed of around 128 km/h."
4) She further added that the goods train did not get derailed. “Since the goods train was carrying iron ores, the maximum damage of the impact was on Coromandel Express. This is the reason for a huge number of deaths and injuries. The derailed bogies of Coromandel Express came on the down line, and hit the last two bogies of Yashwantpur Express which was crossing at the speed of 126 km/h from down line," she said.
5) Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena said that the death toll is 275 and not 288. The data was checked by DM and it was found that some bodies have been counted twice, so the death toll has been revised to 275. Out of 275, 88 bodies have been identified, he said. Speaking of the injured, he said, Out of 1,175 injured, 793 have been discharged after treatment.
6) A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore by an expert panel headed by a retired judge of the apex court. The PIL also sought guidelines and directions for the implementation of the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System called KAVACH Protection System in Indian Railways with immediate effect to ensure public safety.
7) Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a tweet said that Down mail line has been restored at 12:05 hrs today.
8) Odisha government has urged people to the next of kin from different states to identify and claim the bodies of the deceased in the tragic train accident in Odisha's Balasore. As per the government, there are still a number of bodies yet to be claimed in various morgues. The accident that occurred on Friday night killed 288 people and left over 1000 people injured, as per the official figure. "There are still a number of bodies yet to be claimed in various morgues. The state government is appealing to the next of kin from different states to identify and claim the bodies.
9) The Railway Minister also refuted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that the accident could have been averted with Kavach (anti-collision) device. "It has nothing to do with Kavach. The reason is not what Mamata Banerjee said yesterday. She said as per understanding," he added.
10) Earlier in the day, PM Modi called upon Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take stock of the progress of the restoration work at Balasore triple train accident site, Railway Ministry sources informed.
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